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Enlarging color negatives on b&w paper?
Was wondering if there are some good tips to print my color negatives on black & white paper? I have tons of negatives that would be awesome in black & white. They seem to come out somewhat gray by default.
Thanks
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The color negative base messes with variable contrast paper. The tone will never really be correct.
You can try playing with the color filters, use graded paper, or try and dupe them into positives and then onto b&w neg stock.
Though I have never used it, in the past there was special papers for use just for this application to turn color negs into correct toned b&w images. It is not sold or made anymore.
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At first the few attempts were very light. What filtration would you recommend? I have both multi graded and standard paper too.
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I've actually had a fair bit of luck doing this but don't really have a system.
VC paper responds to changes in the filter pack just as it does with a B&W negative; add magenta for more contrast, add yellow for less. I'd suggest making big changes like +100 from normal at first to se if your going the right way.
Mark Barendt, Ignacio, CO
"The mind that opens to a new idea never returns to its original size." Albert Einstein
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As has been said to get a correct tonal response you need to print on a panchromatic type of paper, which is a bit of a pain (no safelight). However, by using a high magenta value on multigrade paper you will get some reasonable results.
“The contemplation of things as they are, without error or confusion, without substitution or imposture, is in itself a nobler thing than a whole harvest of invention”
Francis Bacon
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 Originally Posted by Newt_on_Swings
The color negative base messes with variable contrast paper. The tone will never really be correct.
You can try playing with the color filters, use graded paper, or try and dupe them into positives and then onto b&w neg stock.
Though I have never used it, in the past there was special papers for use just for this application to turn color negs into correct toned b&w images. It is not sold or made anymore.
The paper was Kodak's Panalure. The original wasn't that great, and even the H contrast (Hard) was a bit soft. The later version, Panalure Select RC, was actually quite good and the S, M, H grades seemed accurate. I liked it and have a few prints on it that I still like. I wish someone would make such a paper again. It's just a black and white paper that's panchromatic. It has to be handled in either complete darkness or under a dim safelight made for color paper. I used it with my Duka 50 sodium safelight set for RA4 paper and never had a problem with that.
Not just the base but the fact there are different colors in the image messes with VC paper, meaning different parts of the image can print with different contrasts. It also tends to come out looking oddly grainy, probably because of the lack of red sensitivity - any dye clouds too red just don't register at all leaving large "holes" that look like grain. Graded paper is even worse since its sensitivity is even more limited.
Hey Simon - could Ilford make a good panchromatic paper for this, please? 
Probably the best way to do this and get good tonality might be to print onto film and reversal process for a negative, then print that. You could reversal process black and white or, heck, just use E6 if some filter experimentation could eliminate any color cast. A slight cast wouldn't hurt much, as long as it wasn't too red.
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My students do this all the time, and it takes a bit of experience and practice but nice images can be made. You need to increase the time and filter grade
Think grade 4 filter and test for times.
http://www.aclancyphotography.com
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I've had some success using Ilford MGIV. As has been mentioned, pump up the contrast a bit. This one was done with a #4 filter. In this case, since I was printing for hand painting, exact tonal response wasn't too important.
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Originally Posted by Roger Cole
The paper was Kodak's Panalure. The original wasn't that great, and even the H contrast (Hard) was a bit soft. The later version, Panalure Select RC, was actually quite good and the S, M, H grades seemed accurate.
Oooh.... I have an unopened pack of the Panalure II RC M. Absolutely no idea how old it is or how well it has been stored. Wonder how well it keeps and if it is still any good...
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you need to print them at maximum contrast!
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